Bernie Stone: City Hall's Straight Shooter

By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 2, 2010 1:00PM

We all have that one relative in our family who's reached an age where he feels he can speak his mind whenever he wants because he feels he's earned it simply by living as long as he has.

In City Council, that man is 50th Ward Alderman Bernard Stone. Whether it's telling Mick Dumke that it's "none of (his) damn business" how much research he did before adding his "yea" vote to the parking meter lease rubber stamp, or by announcing his candidacy for an 11th term as alderman by both saying he's "too full of pee and vinegar" to retire and claiming that running for another term would save taxpayers money because he wouldn't be drawing a pension, Stone is like that crusty great-uncle who hacks phlegm into a pocket square and then gets curses you out when you don't want him giving your kids hard candy unless he washes his hands.

Stone's always good for a quote and he gave a good one yesterday, after three advisory referendums proposed by 22nd Ward Alderman Ricardo Munoz were re-referred to committee. Stone, in his own peculiar way, let all know what he thought of Munoz's proposals.

“It’s great to play with yourself, but that’s all you’re doing. You’re trying to fool the public. Why fool the public?”

(Emphasis ours).

Munoz took offense to Stone's claim that introducing the referendum — to renegotiate the parking meter lease, fill the 910 vacancies currently at the Police Department and adopt a transaction tax that would apply to sales of securities, commodities and derivatives — as an exercise in onanistic behavior. "'(P)laying with yourselves' is not productive language," he said. Luckily, 14th Ward Alderman Ed Burke rode to the rescue, saying Stone "inadvertently misspoke."

"He didn’t want to suggest what that phrase connotes," Burke said. We imagined Stone pulled Burke aside away from the media's prying eyes and scolded Burke, probably mistaking the term "connote" for playing with himself.